MOBILE, Ala. -- Dauphin Island insurance agent Mark Rowley testified today that state charges against him are a result of customers who don't understand insurance and enemies trying to ruin his reputation.

The Alabama Insurance Department has brought non-criminal disciplinary charges against Rowley, claiming he took customers' money but failed to buy them promised coverage. He denies the charges except for one case where he said he misapplied a payment in error.

The case is expected to wind up in January. The hearing officer, Deputy Insurance Commissioner David Parsons, will then consider evidence and rule on possible sanctions. Rowley could be fined, suspended, or have his license revoked.

Alvin McPherson, Rowley's former business partner, testified last week that he lost trust in Rowley in part because Rowley wrote himself unauthorized checks from their joint account. Today, Rowley denied writing such checks and accused McPherson of illicitly putting his non-employee daughter on company health insurance, which caused Rowley to pay more.

Rowley said he believed that McPherson, with whom he often fought, originally reported him to regulators.

Rowley said his troubles intensified when the Order of Butterfly Maidens sued him. That group won a $125,000 default judgment, and Rowley said the Butterfly Maidens are trying to seize his Dauphin Island home.

He noted that the Butterfly Maidens were represented by lawyer Patrick "Rick" Courtney after the group's insurance was taken over by the lawyer's brother, Ed Courtney of the Courtney & Pharr agency.

"We have Rick Courtney leading the way and we have Courtney & Pharr writing the accounts behind him," Rowley said.

He said Ed Courtney recently told members of the Joe Cain Society that their policies written by Rowley were bogus, an allegation Rowley denied. He said he sells cheaper policies than Courtney because he has better industry connections.

William Rogers, the lawyer for the state, asked Rowley why several state witnesses had testified that they'd failed repeatedly to get copies of their policy.

"If an insured lost a policy, aren't you the person they'd contact to get another copy?" Rogers asked.

Rowley said he always returns phone calls and has employees send the requested copies, though in some cases they may have failed to do so.

One witness who testified last week, Anthony Hoffman of the Krewe of Marry Mates, is a lawyer whose practice includes insurance defense work.

But Rowley noted that, in general, confusion ensues every year when Mardi Gras groups change officers.

"They're new people that are not all that used to insurance," Rowley said.